Crossing on the Queen Mary 2

A/N: In the MSW book, A Fatal Feast by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain, George Sutherland travels to Cabot Cove to experience a traditional Thanksgiving with Jessica. In my opinion, this is the book that flirts the most with the idea that if Jessica ever married again, it would be to George. Seth even leads her to believe that George is going to ask her to marry him during a dinner party. So, this idea of George asking Jessica is the jumping off point to this story, along with Jessica being familiar with transatlantic travel in the MSW book, Murder on the QE2.

The Queen Mary 2 does go from New York to Southampton in about six nights and seven days. Traveling this way is referred to as a crossing, not a cruise. Beyond that, I know little about transatlantic travel by ocean liner. I did take some liberties on the length of travel, having them arrive in England on the morning of the sixth day.

This story is seven chapters with a short epilogue.

Chapter 1

"Jessica, lass, I have considered one hundred times how to ask this question and have come up with one hundred different solutions. I came to realize that no answer is the right one because nothing will ever be good enough for you."

Her heart started to pound. For all of Seth's certainty that George was going to pop the question the night before, she had felt both relief and disappointment when it did not happen during Seth's dinner party. But now? She knew what was coming and she froze, waiting, as though she was observing their conversation outside her body.

"So, Jess, my love. I know we have talked about this ad nauseam. Will we, won't we, when will we? There are many reasons why we should or why we should not wait. But the result is that I love you and I know I have told you that before, but the reality is that you may be staying the same age, but I am getting older every day."

"You flatter me, George."

"No, it's true. You have such timeless beauty and grace, Jess. I swear you don't look a day older than when I met you ten years ago."

Jessica smiled. She understood he was being sincere, even if he had never seen her without her makeup on.

Now, in Boston, after their busy day trying to find out about Hubert Billups' past, they were sequestered in George's hotel room over a nightcap. They were seated on a love seat, not touching, but only a couple of feet away from each other.

George straightened his posture, set his scotch tumbler on the coffee table, before reaching for her hand.

"I know that we have a lot to figure out, but after being with you the past week during your American holiday, I will regret it for the rest of my life if I don't try. Jess, I love you and I want to know if you would consider being my wife. Before you say no, please take some time to think about it. I don't have a ring for you yet, so there is no pressure to decide now as I won't be getting on one knee and opening a jewelry box. Just know that if you will consider my proposal, I can and will do right by you. We don't have to set a wedding date right away. We could take some time to figure out our lives and how to make it work. I simply want the opportunity to live life by your side."

"Oh, George."

He had asked her. It may not be a formal proposal and certainly not the most confident, even though the man asking her was a confident and self-assured man most of the time. Staring at him, she sensed his anxiety and earnestness, but more than anything his love for her. It was overwhelming, but in a positive way.

Yet, what did she feel in return? She could never agree to be his wife if she did not reciprocate his feelings. He was far too good a man for her to agree to marriage for any other reason than a complete and total commitment to love him. He deserved to be loved and to have a partner by his side who was his equal. He, too, had experienced the loss of a spouse and she would never treat his heart lightly.

Many thoughts and emotions were racing through her mind, vying for her attention, as she stared at George, attempting to discern what she needed to say.

He added softly, "I won't beg, Jess. But please, think about it."

"My answer isn't yes, but it isn't no either. I will give it great consideration, George…I…I do love you." She had not realized it until she was in the middle of responding, but as the words left her mouth, she knew they were the truth. She did love this man who sat beside her. The question now was—was that love enough?

When she told him she loved him though, George's face conveyed such hope that her chest constricted in anxiety. Oh, she did love him. She hoped she would not hurt him. However, she worried how they would make their lives work together. It had been her worry since she realized her attraction to him a decade before. Vocalizing her love now compounded that fear. They both had fulfilling careers on opposite sides of the ocean. How would it even be possible? Jessica knew that she would never consent to be a part-time wife. If they got married, she would expect to be with George full-time, other than the normal travel for work that they both had to deal with on occasion.

Clearly, George was still processing his emotions about Jessica, admitting that she loved him for the first time, as he had not spoken since she confessed her feelings, but his hand had tightened his grip on her own.

George started to speak twice, but closed his mouth each time, struggling to know how to respond. The third time, he finally managed to get out, "Lass, it's wonderful to hear that. Is—is there anything that you want to discuss now?"

"Oh George, you know that for us ever to make it to the altar, we have so much to work out first. I love you, but I don't even know where to start."

His thumb rubbed her knuckles methodically, before he said, "Aye, lass, I know. But I am going to retire next year. I can compromise quite a bit in the coming months with where we live, how long we are separated, and so on. I know that you would never leave Cabot Cove permanently. I know that is where Frank is buried and all your dear friends live. Besides, I don't think Seth would let me take you away."

There was one thing she focused on more than anything else he said, when she asked, "You're retiring?"

"Aye, I was going to wait and surprise you at Christmas, if I could convince you to come visit for the Christmas holiday, but I don't want to wait. I want you to know now that I'm serious about finding a way to be with you."

"I would like to visit at Christmas if I can manage to finish my book by the deadline."

He nodded, knowing she had struggled with writer's block with this latest manuscript and would need to focus on finishing it when she returned to Cabot Cove tomorrow. Maintaining his grip on her hand, he asked, "What else, lass, can I say to make you feel as though we have a chance together?"

Her face grew red, as she knew that she did have something they needed to discuss, but she did not know how to ask him. It was far too embarrassing, but she realized that the more her face flushed, the more he would know that something was up.

His next words confirmed that theory, when he asked, "Lass, what are you thinking about?"

She tried to shrug in reply, but he would not let her off so easily.

"Tell me, please."

"George, it's just…you asked me to marry you, but we have never even had a prolonged kiss." Dear Lord, this was embarrassing. Why couldn't she just say the words, French kiss?

"Oh, I see. Jess, I did not realize you would be amenable to the more physical side of a relationship."

"What, in heaven's name, do you mean by that?"

"Just that—Jess, I did not want to make you think I wanted to be with you only to get you in bed."

"George, I would never marry you without there being expectations of intimacy. That is such a wonderful part of marriage that it would make me incredibly sad if we did not engage in it."

"Oh-what are you saying then, lass?" He did appear relieved at her statement, but she still felt confused about why he would ever think she would want a sexless relationship.

"George, I am saying that for me to even consider marriage, we need to have some intimate moments beforehand, not necessarily jumping right into bed together, mind you, but…I would prefer to go to bed with you at some point before marriage to make sure we are compatible in that way."

"I see."

"Do you judge me?"

"Of course not, lass."

Jessica tilted her head. Was he telling the truth? "Then, why are you uncomfortable?"

He was still holding her hand, but he had stopped rubbing her knuckles with his thumb, appearing lost in thought. She waited for him to gather his thoughts though, as she realized he needed time to think through what was bothering him.

"Lass, I have held myself back for so long with you, knowing early on that you had firm boundaries about us being close in that way. Not wanting to pressure or scare you off, I have tried to respect them, knowing that you weren't ready. Now, you have promised to consider my proposal but want some level of intimacy, and…I suppose it's not terribly manly to admit, but I'm not sure how to begin."

Feeling shy, but understanding what he was processing, as she felt much the same, she smiled at him. She had been the one to halt their progress for years. Now, she was willing to discuss marriage, but wanted to make clear that to do so, they needed to become intimate or at least, far more so than ever before. But as they had only ever kissed on the cheek, hugged, held hands, and kissed briefly on the lips a handful of times in a decade of knowing each other, it was no wonder that George was afraid to move forward, even as she understood without a doubt that he desired to do so.

Quietly, she said, "I suppose I could make the first move," before leaning towards him slowly, pressing her lips against his own, seeking to deepen their kiss by pressing against his mouth with her tongue, feeling his surprise as well as his welcome as he opened to allow her to explore his mouth, his free hand reaching to cup her cheek, even as she reached her hand to hold the back of his neck. As the initiator, she led the way as she gently nibbled on his bottom lip, before pulling it gently into her mouth, hearing him groan in response.

When oxygen became a necessity, Jessica pulled away, but rested her forehead against his, to look into his Granny Smith apple-colored eyes. Staring at each other, breathing the same air, she felt a rush of love for this man. Their kiss was without a doubt the most physical they had ever been, as all of their prior kisses had been platonic. But this kiss had done more for the intensity of their relationship in the past three minutes than anything they had shared previously in ten years. That did not minimize their deep emotional connection, the respect that they had for one another, as well as all the wonderful aspects of what made them compatible, but this brief physical encounter brought all the pieces together, leaving them breathless but with real hope for their future.

"Lass, that was lovely. May I?"

At her nod, he pulled her closer, negating the gap between their mouths once more, as he led the dance, releasing her hand, so that he could reach with both arms around her body to pull her against him. Moving her against the love seat cushion, he held her close, kissing her mouth, tangling his tongue with hers, before planting soft kisses across her face, the corners of her eye, her ear lobe, before moving down her jaw and neck. She moaned softly against him, gripping his shoulders, but allowing his amorous advances to continue.

Hearing her gasp when he reached a sensitive spot in the curve of her neck, he did not want to stop, even though he was certain he had to. She had been afraid of moving their relationship forward for years. Despite her willingness to consider marriage at this juncture, he was confident that moving forward too fast would not get him his desired results. It would only serve to scare her away. To be the one to stop first, instead of waiting for her to push him away, would leave her hopefully wanting more and free to choose him willingly. As much as he loved her and desired nothing more than to be with her, he would not want that if she did not ultimately desire him in the same way. He would never want her to say yes, if she felt any pressure or uncertainty about their future. It was going to take a lot of work for them to be together, a lot of planning and compromise, and he would never want her to doubt their relationship or say yes to make him happy at the expense of herself. He believed she was too strong-willed for that to happen, but he wouldn't risk it. It would be too painful for them both.

Reaching a tad bit lower with his mouth where her neck met her shoulder, he slowed his kisses, leaving one final soft one, before he broke away, watching her eyes open slowly.

"Lass, I don't want to stop, but I think we need to."

"But George, you leave tomorrow."

"Aye, I do, and I could never live with myself if I seduced you tonight and you regretted it tomorrow. I want to marry you and after a decade of waiting, I finally had the nerve to ask you. I will not ruin my chances forever in exchange for one night of passion. Despite how very much I want to. Make no mistake."

Nodding again at him, she smiled, before she whispered, "I understand."

Reaching for both her hands, he squeezed them before lifting them to his mouth to kiss.

"I suppose I should go to my room now, George."

His eyes appeared sad, even as he knew that was the logical conclusion. Damn logic.

"I'll walk you to your door."

As they had adjoining rooms, he simply led her to the door separating their two suites, before kissing her softly goodnight.

G/J

After a restless night, Jessica woke before dawn the next day wondering if George was awake yet.

How in the world was this going to work? And how could they progress their physical relationship along to even see if they wanted to move towards a permanent relationship that would ultimately lead to marriage? It was all well and good to know that George was retiring next year and was willing to compromise, but was she? Despite retirement and some level of compromise, she knew that he would not be content moving to Cabot Cove permanently. She also knew that if they started with George moving to Cabot Cave temporarily, it would never work. There were far too many prying eyes that belonged to opinionated people who would have no qualms about sharing those opinions.

Seth would be at the front of the line.

So, at the very least, she would have to agree to spend an extended period of time in London to see if they would have the needed privacy to work things out. However, she doubted that even London would work initially, because while George's flat would be private, he still had too many work commitments and obligations that could take him away from her. Even if they planned a week together, there was no guarantee when she arrived that they would have that entire time alone. Understanding her reticence in giving herself to him while not knowing for certain if they could be together, she sensed they would need uninterrupted quality time for her to take that next step.

If not, their relationship would end before they got started.

After all, isn't that what happened in Cabot Cove this past week when Mr. Billups was murdered, and George became embroiled in the investigation right along with her?

Jessica was aware that her anxiety was spiraling out of control. However, she remembered George's invitation to spend Christmas in London with him this year. What if they could find a way to have a period of private time away from both of their homes where they would be as certain as they could be of maintaining their time together away from other distractions?

A smile formed on her mouth, as an idea formed.

Climbing out of bed, she wrapped her robe around her body and hurried across her suite to knock on the adjoining door. It took a moment, as she realized that George must still be asleep.

When he opened the door, he was running his other hand through his hair, "Lass, are you alright?"

"Oh, George, I woke you. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, my dear."

"May I come in?"

"Of course," he said, opening the door wide.

Jessica crossed the room to the love seat, before sitting on the edge, realizing for the first time that she was only wearing her nightgown and robe and no makeup. He did not appear to mind as he followed her to the love seat, sitting next to her and resting his arm across the back of the furniture.

"What's on your mind, lass?"

Suddenly nervous, she clasped her hands in her lap, as she looked down at them, unable to make eye contact, before she said, "George, I have an idea…I think we both need time together privately…to explore if we are compatible."

"To be intimate, you mean?"

She jerked her head up in response, seeing him smirk, as her face grew red, "Yes, I suppose that is exactly what I mean."

"Hmm. Not to put too fine a point on it, but couples do tend to desire privacy in order to be intimate."

Rolling her eyes at him, she said, "You invited me to London for Christmas last night."

"Aye, I did."

"I realize this could be a terrible imposition, but would you have the time and inclination to perhaps fly to New York a week before Christmas, so that we could take the Queen Mary 2 to London? I believe it takes about six to seven days to make the crossing and we…could share a stateroom…though I'm not promising anything. It might take some time for me to be comfortable enough to…" she said, waving her hands between them, to which George chuckled, flustering her further, before continuing, "but we would have the time and privacy to see if we could be together…that way."

The cobwebs of sleep had clearly fled George Sutherland's mind as a wide grin filled his face.

"Lass, you are a woman full of surprises and wonderful ideas, but this one may be your best yet."

"Would you have time to make the crossing?"

"Aye, I'll move heaven and earth to make time."

Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her fully and completely, leaving no doubt in her mind about where they were headed.